Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 19 April 2020

Diane: Thank you, but oh my -  what a spectacular moth!   More like a butterfly.   I must check out the difference between them.   I watched a Monarch butterfly emerge from its cocoon in our garden a few years back.  It happened in a matter of an hour or so, so I hope you get a chance to see it and let us know.   I love fish!

OG:  Gosh, that's hard, not liking fish when there's so much of it around you. Has Brexit also changed fishermen's markets?  Your garden sounds so pretty. Garden centers here are called nurseries and are deemed essential services but there are no restaurants or home decorating/clothing departments attached.  I took a few unhappy looking leaves (in a ziplock bag) for diagnosis to our local one today and it was busy with masked customers shopping for plants, veggies, herbs...

Lindybird:  That's amazing that people would walk across a field with growing crops.  Here you'd probably get shot!!   I seem to remember that the UK's Public Footpath system involves all kinds of legal rights and eccentric traditions.  There's one near my sister's house in Lincolnshire that a farmer has apparently closed off, which I gather may be illegal and which has caused muttering among the villagers....     January 1919's New Yorker magazine had an article on the subject https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-uk/the-search-for-englands-forgotten-footpaths.

Wendyb:  Did your daughter go for her test?

Anyway, have a good Sunday all.

Thank you DIANE for starting us off. What a wonderful treasure at your front door. A guard moth?

No new cases of virus yesterday in our state and very few over the last week. Tomorrow our city is receiving 2 planeloads of Aussies rescued from overseas. 880 to be quarantined in hotels for 2 weeks. Then, those from other states will find their way home, to face another 2 weeks isolation in their home state. We are taking the lockdown seriously.

Just a thought
Happiness is a healthy mental attitude, a grateful spirit, a clear conscience, and a heart full of love. (Anon)

Good Morning, Bright sun again, here. Must be frustrating if you have no outside space to enjoy it.

Thank you to Diane for starting us off again - for a minute I was confused, as I'd forgotten it was Sunday! Longing to know the outcome now, of your mystery package, Diane! Hope it is the gorgeous moth and that you might, just might, get a photo of it!!

Wow Diane what a beautiful cocoon and eventually  a stunning Moth. I so hope you are there to see it hatch.

Nothing to report here - I am used to living alone - but even this is getting to me now. However as our figures are some of the worst in the world and probably underestimated, I can see this continuing for some time.

I'm joining my Parish for an online Mass at 10 as are lots of people all over the world. Lets hope our joint prayers help those who have and are still suffering and not forgetting our wonderful NHS and carers.

At least the weather is set fine for the next week.

Stay safe and well all.

DIANE How absolutely wonderful. I do hope you are right about the owner of the sack.

Diane - I also hope you will see it - that moth looks so beautiful!

ANNETTE - we still don't really know what will happen to our export trade in fish etc - although we "have left" Europe, trade negotiations and other legal stuff are still under discussion with no idea whether they will be concluded by 31st December! RE footpaths etc - there is a big dispute between a local farmer and dog-walkers - they claim the "Right to Roam" under Scottish law, but he says that doesn't give them the right for their dogs to "do their business" on his land! Scottish Law is different from English law - we have more rights and less definition of Trespass.

AQ - wow! That's four weeks quarantine for some on those arrivals!

HARELADY - another Sunday, and another "virtual church". "They" estimate that virtual attendance is far higher than numbers attending church in "normal " times.

What a fantastic find Diane, I will post a li k to this on our dedicated thread here for others to share ...

https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/206393/butterflies-moths-2020

If you really don't want to miss the eclosing then you could cut the stem that cocoon is attached to & bring inside, place it upright in a container covered loosley with fine net, as soon as out & dried off you can release it back to the wild!  Must have plenty of clearance for it's wings to inflate!  I used a white mesh linen bin when I home- raised Silkmoths a couple of year back!